1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for processing an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the widespread use of a color scanner and a digital camera, in some cases, an input device and an output device for inputting and outputting image data are different with each other; for example, image data on an image shot by a digital camera is output by a printer. The output device normally outputs image data after a correction depending on a feature of image data, such as a correction of a background color is made on the image data. However, when an input device and an output device are different with each other, it may be difficult to identify a feature of image data.
To solve the problem, there has been developed various technologies. For example, there is an image processing apparatus capable of performing image processing on image data appropriately (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-053690). In this apparatus, a processing history of, for example, “Undo” or “Redo” of each of processes and a processing state are managed with respect to, for example, image data on a color document input by an image input device, such as a scanner, so as to manage or process data for creating optimum image data depending on various applications. Furthermore, there is disclosed an image processing apparatus enabling a user to recognize a state transition of image processing visually and intuitively by outputting the state transition (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-074331).
However, not only types of image data subject to image processing but also users' preferences and purposes of using the image data have been diversified. For example, as a background processing, there are a background color removal in which a color of a background is processed to be white regardless of an original color and a background cleaning in which dirt or a see-through backside image is processed not to be come out with keeping an original color of a background. A user can select any of such processing techniques depending on an individual preference. However, when an apparatus is configured that a user needs to select a content or a parameter for a desired image processing, a user operation is cumbersome and complicated, and thus an operating efficiency decreases.